A Reason to Come Back
by pmochizuki
Summary: As Silvia walks away from Tobin, she wonders if she had thrown away the one chance to tell him how much he meant to her...


**Author's Note:** My first "The Interpreter" story; not the first story to be published on this site but I hope to just one of _many_ more "Interpreter" fics! I've just gotta say… what a fantastic movie! The acting is incredible and the chemistry between Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman is electric!

This story takes place just minutes after the movie ends. I thought that there needed just a _bit_ more added to finish off the movie better. Originally written for an English project, it may seen a bit too short but due to restrictions I couldn't really develop it as well as I might have hoped to. Don't worry, I'm thinking of writing a few more chapter for this story, plus write more fics on "The Interpreter". Depends on how well you guys like it…

Enjoy!

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A Reason to Come Back **

**by pmochizuki**

As Silvia walked away from him, she wondered why she didn't feel as content as she should have been. She had accomplished all that she needed to do before leaving for home. Except there was the nagging feeling that there would be so much missing in Matobo that it wouldn't be home anymore.

There would be no one waiting for her in Matobo. Simon was dead, Phillip was dead, and no longer would she be welcome among the compatriots she knew from her days with Ajene Xola. He would no longer be there for her either.

She had left her homeland with nothing. It was only natural she would return with nothing waiting for her. Nothing except the hope that she would be able to help change Matobo for the better. No longer would her people have to worry about Zuwanie or fear his men. Perhaps there would be peace when a new government was installed.

Silvia shrugged away all her depressing thoughts, focusing instead on the hope she stored in her heart. There was a new future for her country now; her wildest dreams were coming true.

But what about _her_ future? What was in store for _her_ life?

Thoughts of Tobin Keller came unexpectedly to mind. Or maybe not so unexpectedly as one might think. During the threat of Zuwanie's assassination, he had been constantly at her side._ Whether I liked it or not_, Silvia thought, outwardly smiling. The past week, however, during her interviews and getting ready to leave, they had hardly spoken. She knew he had been busy, too; preparing and filing his own reports.

Silvia admitted to herself that she had missed him during that time. Often she had found herself casting her gaze around, hoping to perhaps find him waiting for her. He would just be blending into the background, wearing an aura of casualness and nonattachment with practiced ease. Until one noticed how his eyes took in everything; how his eyes watched her with such steady intensity.

With a heavy heart she realized she would never be experiencing his gaze upon her again. His gaze which offered so much comfort and stability in times when things seemed to go out of control.

Today she had said goodbye to a good friend. Someone she would have liked to have as more than just a good friend. With that admittance came the regret that she hadn't told him, and that the chance to do so had been lost forever.

Shaking her head, she snapped out of her reverie as she realized that she was already turning the corner onto the block where she lived. There was still some more packing to do though most of her boxes were all packed.

As she was about to go up the flight of stairs to her apartment building, she had the strangest feeling she was being watched. She lifted her gaze and froze before taking another step. There he was, Tobin Keller, sitting at the top of the stairs.

He was smiling; the whimsical almost nonexistent smile which Silvia had begun to associate with his personality. He looked relaxed; how could he seem that way when her heart was beating so furiously she was afraid he could hear?

Tobin seemed to sense her unease as he greeted her casually. "Hey."

Silvia found her voice after a moment, pulling herself together from the surprise, oh so pleasant surprise, of seeing him there. "Hello there."

"Fancy meeting you here," Tobin said, his smile widening.

She returned the look with her own smile. "How did you get here so fast?"

"I have a car; you don't," was his simple reply.

For a while neither of them spoke, Silvia wondering if she would ever get tired of him looking at her with his calm, revealing eyes. Here was a man in control of himself, though she knew that he only hid his insecurities with practiced ease. Tobin had let her see his insecurities, however, and Silvia loved him all the more for that.

_Loved…?_ Did she love him? She was so startled by the word that it must have shown in her expression because Tobin frowned quizzically. "What's the matter?" he asked, worry lacing his words.

Shrugging away his concern, Silvia tried to mull over her newly discovered feelings for this man. _Love?_ She had loved once, though it had only ended with disaster. She was white, Ajene had been black. The color of skin… such a silly reason for two people to be apart. She now knew it had been for the best that they had gone separate ways; their passion for their country had been mistaken for a passion between a man and a woman.

But Tobin…

_Dear Tobin_…

Silvia found herself feel faint with the realization that she may have fallen in love with this wonderful man in front of her. To think that she may have discovered this fact too late to tell him. But could she tell him? Now, of all times? Now, when she was about to leave the country, probably to never see him again?

He came down the stairs to stand in front of her and Silvia found herself staring into his face, willing herself to remain calm even with him being so close to her. Was it her imagination, or did something flicker behind his soft gaze? He spoke before she could ponder too deeply into the mysterious expression in his face.

"There's something I wanted to tell you," Tobin began after a moment's pause, as if making each word a careful decision on his part. "That night when Gamba broke into your apartment to kill you, and I thought you were in there – "

Understanding what he meant, about her actually having snuck out that night, Silvia interrupted him. "I am so sorry for not telling you – "

"No, no, let me finish," Tobin interrupted this time, shaking a warning finger at her. "When I got to your room, and you didn't answer my calls, I almost stopped breathing." He placed a hand over his chest, emphasizing his words. "I only kept going because of the slim chance you were still alive and that if I caught this guy, this whole situation would be all over.

"After I shot Gamba and found out you weren't there…" Tobin paused as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. He took a deep breath before looking at her again and continuing. "I felt such an enormous relief inside of me. At that moment, I… knew you had touched me here." Saying that, Tobin moved the hand on his chest more to his left.

Where his heart was.

Silvia's breath caught in her throat as she the full meaning of his words and the gesture became apparent. _He cares for me… _Silvia felt all disappointment, sadness, and regret from the past few weeks, from the past few _years_, fade away from the revelation that someone like Tobin could ever care for her.

Perhaps he didn't love her, maybe not in the way she wished he might. But it was enough that he was here now, looking at her that way, and her feeling as if she could fly.

Words seemed so empty in that precious moment and Silvia smiled, realizing this may be the first time she felt words to be insufficient. But it was true, right here and right now, standing in front of the man she loved.

Tobin cocked his head. "You're speechless," he remarked in a light tone, though there was an underlying sense of hesitant nervousness in his voice.

She gave him a small smile. "That's only because words couldn't possibly explain how much you mean to me, too."

With that confession, Tobin's face lit up and Silvia felt her whole world brighten knowing it was she who made him look that way. She reached out to hold his hand and she felt a quiet thrill as he brought her hand up so he could place a soft kiss on her knuckles. Then he placed her hand, still grasped firmly in his, against his heart and for a while both of them just stared into each others eyes with silent acceptance.

Finally, Tobin spoke. "Would you care to have dinner with me?"

"You know you're asking a question to which you already know the answer," Silvia remarked with a slight smirk on her lips.

He only winked as he answered, "Yes ma'am." He let go of her hand as he started leading the way and for a split second, Silvia almost felt as if the magic of the past few minutes had left. That is, until Tobin drew her close to him as they walked, arm draped casually around her waist as if they had walked in such a manner so many times before.

Silvia could only lean into him as they walked in companionable silence. Who knew what the future had in store for the two of them. She sadly remembered that she was leaving for Matobo tomorrow. But one thing she knew; she would make a way to come back.

She glanced at Tobin who was looking at her with a look of adoration. He leaned forward for just a brief moment to brush his lips across her forehead before catching her eyes again, a world of emotion hidden behind his eyes.

Yes, she would find a way to come back.

Because she knew that someone, someone special, might just be waiting for her…

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Author's Note:** What do you think? As I mentioned, I might write a few more chapters, do you think I should continue? Please drop a note! 


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